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Cuban government protests release of pilot who arrived in the U.S. in a fumigation plane

Cuban government protests release of pilot who arrived in the U.S. in a fumigation plane
Photo: Televisión Avileña

March 2nd |

The granting of asylum and release a little over a week ago of a pilot who arrived in the United States in an AN-2 crop-duster plane in October 2022, provoked what the Cuban government described Monday as a “vigorous protest” against Washington.

“Granting political asylum to someone who committed the hijacking of an aircraft for the purpose of emigrating also constitutes a violation of the provisions of the Joint Declaration on migratory matters signed by both countries on January 12, 2017,” the Foreign Ministry statement said.

Cuban pilot Ruben Martinez Machado arrived on October 21, coming from the central province of Santi Spíritus at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Florida.

Martinez was granted asylum by a state judge on February 21 after arguing “credible fear” and on the 24th of that month, he was released, according to Telemundo 51, which published a video of Martinez in his lawyer’s car leaving the detention center.

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The Cuban Foreign Ministry said that it summoned Benjamin Ziff, US Chargé d’Affaires on the island, to its Havana headquarters to present the complaint in the person of Vice Minister Carlos Fernández Cossío.

In addition, Havana has accused Washington of violating the Convention on International Civil Aviation, better known as the Chicago Convention, which, according to the communiqué, is “a negative and dangerous precedent”.

The State Department recalled on Monday, in a report on state sponsors of terrorism, that Cuba “did not formally respond to extradition requests” for the leaders of the National Liberation Army (ELN), Víctor Orlando Cubides, alias ‘Pablo Tejada’, and Ramírez Pineda, alias ‘Pablo Beltrán’, “presented by Colombia”.

Voice of America sent a request for comment to the U.S. State Department, but at the time of writing has not received a response.

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International

Paraguay summons Brazilian ambassador over Itaipú espionage scandal

Paraguay summoned the Brazilian ambassador in Asunción on Tuesday to demand “explanations” and called its own representative in Brasília for consultations following Brazil’s acknowledgment of an espionage operation. The Brazilian government, led by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, attributed the operation to the previous administration.

The surveillance effort aimed to uncover Paraguay’s position in now-suspended negotiations with Brazil regarding the pricing of electricity from the binational Itaipú hydroelectric plant, according to reports in the Brazilian press.

The Brazilian government “categorically denied any involvement in the intelligence operation,” stating in a Foreign Ministry communiqué on Monday that the espionage was carried out under former President Jair Bolsonaro’s administration (2019-2023).

“The operation was authorized by the previous government in June 2022 and was annulled by the interim director of the (state intelligence agency) ABIN on March 27, 2023, as soon as the current administration became aware of it,” Brazil’s government asserted.

Paraguay’s Foreign Minister Rubén Ramírez announced that Brazilian Ambassador José Antonio Marcondes de Carvalho was summoned “to provide detailed explanations” regarding the operation. Additionally, Paraguay recalled its diplomatic representative in Brasília “to report on aspects related to the intelligence activity conducted by Brazil regarding Paraguay’s government affairs.”

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Elon Musk to step down as government advisor, per Trump insiders

President Donald Trump has informed his inner circle that Elon Musk will be stepping down from his role as a government advisor, according to a report by Politico today.

Citing three individuals close to Trump, Politico states that the president is pleased with Musk’s leadership at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), where he has implemented significant budget cuts. However, both have agreed that it is time for Musk to return to his businesses and support Trump from a different position outside the government.

A senior administration official told Politico that Musk will likely maintain an informal advisory role and continue to be an occasional visitor to the White House. Another source warned that anyone thinking Musk will completely disappear from Trump’s circle is “deluding themselves.”

According to the sources, this transition is expected to coincide with the end of Musk’s tenure as a “special government employee,” a temporary status that exempts him from certain ethics and conflict-of-interest regulations. This 130-day period is set to expire in late May or early June.

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International

Milei vows to make Argentina so strong that Falkland Islanders “choose” to join

Argentine President Javier Milei reaffirmed his country’s claim over the Falkland Islands (known as the Islas Malvinas in Argentina) and praised the role of the nation’s armed forces during a ceremony marking the “Veterans and Fallen Soldiers of the Malvinas War Day,” commemorating 43 years since the 1982 conflict with the United Kingdom.

Argentina continues to assert sovereignty over the islands, arguing that Britain unlawfully seized them in 1833.

“If sovereignty over the Malvinas is the issue, we have always made it clear that the most important vote is the one cast with one’s feet. We hope that one day, the Malvinas residents will choose to vote with their feet and join us,” Milei stated.

“That is why we aim to become a global power—so much so that they would prefer to be Argentine, making deterrence or persuasion unnecessary. This is why we have embarked on a path of liberation, working to make Argentina the freest country in the world and once again the nation with the highest GDP per capita on the planet,” he added.

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